Siebel Business Process Framework: Workflow Guide > Overview of Siebel Workflow > General Workflow Principles >

About the Workflow Processes Module

Workflow Processes is the module in Siebel Workflow you use to create and administer a workflow process.

Overview of Workflow Development

Figure 1 illustrates a high-level view of components used during workflow development.

Figure 1. High-level view of Workflow Development

Components involved during development of a workflow process include:

1. Siebel Tools. Siebel Tools provides an integrated development environment for configuring aspects of a Siebel application. The Workflow Process Designer resides in Siebel Tools. You use the Process Designer to build a workflow process. These modifications are saved in the Siebel Repository File (srf).

   Siebel Tools provides the design interface and the debugging interface to Siebel Workflow. After a workflow process is designed and tested, it is written to repository tables for deployment from the administrative interface in the Siebel client.

2. Siebel Server. The Object Manager in the Siebel Server manages the workflow process components that automate business policies.
3. Database Server. A relational database provides the set of data that Workflow Policies act against.
4. Siebel Client. Workflow processes and workflow policies are administered through the Administration-Business Process views in the Siebel client.

For more information, see Architectures Used With Siebel Workflow. For a description of the Siebel Server architecture, see Siebel System Administration Guide.

Overview of Workflow Process Configuration

Workflow Processes allows you to define your company's business processes using the Process Designer in Siebel Tools. Hosting the Process Designer in Siebel Tools provides an integrated development environment to configure Workflow along with other Siebel objects. This integrated development environment allows a top down development framework for building business logic, starting with the creation of a workflow process, then providing pluggable services and data objects that make the process executable.

You define a process that consists of process steps such as Start steps, Decision Points, Sub Process steps, or Business Service steps to finish work. Work can be finished with a predefined business service or a custom business service. Predefined actions include updates to the Siebel database, notifications, such as an email or page, integration messages to external systems, and calls to invoke server tasks. Custom actions can be defined by using Siebel VB or Siebel eScript.

For more information, see Developing a Workflow Process.

Overview of Workflow Process Administration

A Workflow Process can be simple, such as entering a product order, or complex, such as managing call center workflow. A complex workflow process can include multiple sub processes.

Workflow Processes are administered through the Administration-Business Process views in the Siebel client. For more information, see Administering Workflow Processes.

Overview of Invoking a Workflow Process

A workflow process can be invoked from an event in the Siebel application or from an external system. The ways in which a workflow process can be invoked within the Siebel application include:

• From a workflow policy.
• From an event, such as an insert of a record or a button click.
• By a server component.

This book describes in detail how to invoke a workflow through these mechanisms. For more information, see About Workflow Process Design Options.